IZTIRAAR

Chapter 7

Insia smiled to see Ameena talking with Mehraab. Ameen had a crush on Mehraab ever since their university days.  Mehrab was Insia's classmate so she often had conversations with him but Ameena refused to go up to him and even say hi.

Even Haris had found himself a mate in the form of Ayesha.

"Waaah, Ayesha bahut cool thi . yaar. She's unlike any girl I've ever met." Haris said.
" Pedo. Vo tujh se kitni choti hai . Sharam karo."Ameena said to him while sipping on her cola.

" Kia yaar. Mene ik innocent sense me kaha tha. Matlab she would be a great gaming buddy. Ap uss Hunk ke sath bari mushy mushy ho rhi theen

" Baqwaas band kro Haris. Me tumhara mun tor doongi."

Insia laughed at their little exchange.

" Tum donon larte raho. Me to bhai sheesh mehal ja rhi hun." Insia said between her laughs.

" Itni raat ko?" Ameena asked.

" Haan. Din ko tum log jeene nhe dete.To phir raat ko hi na. Konsa koi ghar se bahir jaa rhi hun .Ye backyard me jaarhi hun."

Ameena and Insia called the greenhouse their very own sheesh mehal.
Passed down to her, she was the one who took care of Sheesh Mehal after her father passed away.

She used a part of Sheesh mehal as her little studio where she would spend hours working on a piece.

She picked up her apron and quietly ventured into the long hallway that lead to the backdoor.

As she entered the gloomy greenhouse, she noticed the moon and how its light illuminated the particular part of the greenhouse by the window.
Then, the smell of cigarettes hit her.

Someone smoked in here.

It wasn't dark in the greenhouse but it wasn't necessarily brightened up either.
She turned on the little yellow bulb over her work table, just enough for her. Though the bulb flickered, it worked fine.

A figure appeared from the other side of the greenhouse from behind the huge boxes of fertilizers.
Insia almost screamed but held it in when she saw Wali.

The sudden fear of someone being with her took over her and she didn't realize how she had stopped breathing momentarily.

"I'm sorry, I thought no one comes here.Me bhool gya tha ke ye to poore ghar me tumhari favourite jaga hai. Kia mne tumhe dara dia?"

She frantically nodded her head.

" Mere ilawa yahan koi bhi nhe aata. Iss liye me dar gyi."
She walked over and stood by the window pushing the old rusted window outwards to open it completely.

Struggling, she pushed but couldn't move it an inch. In just a step Wali moved forward and pushed the window for accidently touching hands with her.
Insia moved backwards allowing him to open it for her.
"Thank you." she murmered as she looked towards the clear sky.

" So, that Mehrab guy seemed to know you." Wali said suddenly.

"University me mera classmate tha."
she replied.

" Acha........." he said with a weird pause.
After a long pause, Wali suddenly said,

" Tum mujhe naam se nhe bulati. I mean tum to har waqt mujhe alag alag namon se bulati thi. Yaad hai?"
Wali regretted saying that as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

" Me aesa kiun karoon gi?" she replied as nonchalalently as she could muster though her heart was beating in her throat.

Wali awkwardly laughed, touching the back of his head.
Something he always does when he's nervous.

" Vese bhi me vohi kr rhi hun jo ap ne kaha tha."
" Stay away from me. You mean nothing to me. Don't talk to me. Yehi kaha tha na apne." she replied trying not to show the hurt behind her big doe eyes.

Wali was quiet. He looked intently at her face which was devoid of the slightest of emotions.

Insia was too suffocated by her own words to remain there. She turned to leave but Wali,'s voice amidst the serenity of the night and the crittering of the crickets,
" What if I wanna take back my words. What if I don't want you to stay away from me. What if I wanna keep you close to me." He said the last sentence as slowly as he could.

Insia turned to look at him. Surprised at his audacity.
" Kiun? Vo bhi itne saalon baad." tears threatning to slip out.

She couldn't hear his reason.
She knew that Wali would give one lame reason and her heart would beating for him at the same intensity as it did  before he broke it into a million timy pieces. She could not do that to herself.

She walked away as fast she could.
Ran as she came closer to her room and locked it.

Wali remained standing there realizing the intensity of his own words. Something he realized after staying away from her for years.
He blamed her for soething that wasn't her fault. Something that was already written in their fat but when he realized it, it was too late.

I deserve it.

Insia was mad but hurt.

After all these years, he realized what an asshole he was.. Didn't talk to me for years and now, he just wants to strut right back in.

Insia was mad but she knew it was the perfect opportunity to direct her anger to something useful. She took out her largest canvas and randomely started painting. Teary eyes and sweaty hands and random strokes. She painted as long as her hands gave out.

The morning was excrutiating to say the least. The days to Zakariya's wedding were getting closer and closer and Insia was still not done with all the paintings for her exhibit. If this goes well for her, she can sell her paintings for good price.

" Insia" a voice called her.
" Kia hua, Ameena."
" Ready ho jao. Bhai hame do ghente me pick krne aarhe hn. Ham sab shopping pe jaarhe hn."
"Kon? Hashim bhai?"
"Arre nhe. Wali bhai."
" Tum jao. me busy hun."
" Aesa nhe ho sakta . Me uss Hania ke saath akele nhe jaana chahti. Tum chal rhi ho." Ameena begged Insia.

" Tum apni shopping krna. Vo apni kre gi." Insia replied.

"Nhe nhe. Tum jaa rhi ho. Ye painting tum baad me bhi kr sakti ho." Ameena replied.
" Please Ameena. Aaj nhe. Please."

Ameena could see that Insia really didn't want to go so she didn't force her.

" Acha, I'll bring you icecream."
Ameena said as she went out the door.

" Kia hua. Insia nhe jaarhi?"Wali asked as only Hania and Ameena sat in the car.
"Nhe bahi. Vo busy thi. Uss ki tabiyat bhi theek nhe lag rhi." Ameena replied.

" Vo khushi se kabhi shopping pe gyi bhi hai?"Hani replied sarcastically.

" Haan. Unlike someone. Usse apne baap ke pese zaya krne ki aadat nhe hai." Ameena replied to her comment.

After everyone left, Insia went downstairs to her dadi. She always did that when she felt conflicted. She would talk with her dadi while she put oil in her hair.

As she was about to open the door, she heard someone saying

" Insia aur Wali ki shadi ke baare me kia socha."
She would have never eavesdropped if she hadn't heard someone saying her name in the same sentence as Wali's.

" Ab Wali vapis aagya hai. Mujhe lagta hai hame Wali aur Insia ki bhi rukhsati kr deni chahye."